With Madam Luna's expertise and the help of her assistants, the women who had looked completely disheveled earlier were transformed into stunning bridesmaids and guests, looking absolutely radiant once again.
Meanwhile, upstairs in the bedroom, Noah was being helped into his wedding attire by Armand and Jonathan under the careful direction of one of Madam Luna's assistants.
The outfit had originally been prepared for his twin brother, but in the end, Noah was the one wearing it.
Although Noah was a few centimeters taller than Adam, the wedding suit fit his athletic frame perfectly.
With just a touch of makeup to sharpen his features, Noah looked incredibly handsome. The only thing he couldn't wear was Adam's shoes because they were slightly too small for his feet, so he had to wear his own pair instead.
Noah finally stepped out of the room, flanked by Jonathan and Armand.
Mama Citra froze for a moment when she saw him.
She stared at her son, her eyes filled with emotion as she took in how handsome he looked before immediately pulling him into a warm embrace.
"Thank you…" she whispered softly into her son's ear.
*
10:15 a.m.
Although the wedding venue was fairly close, Mama Citra still decided that they should go by car.
Mama Citra, Papa Mahesa, and Noah rode together in Noah's Maybach, followed by Monica and Armand, who were traveling with their daughter, Athena, in a Mazda.
Five minutes later, the car carrying Natasha, along with her parents and older brother, also headed toward the venue.
As soon as they arrived, Natasha looked around in amazement.
The wedding venue had been divided into two areas.
One side had been prepared for the wedding ceremony, while the other was reserved for the private reception, which would begin at four in the afternoon and continue until ten that night.
For the ceremony, a beautiful floral canopy had been set up. Beneath it stood a long rectangular table with six chairs.
On both sides of the canopy were elegant wooden tables and chairs reserved for the parents of the bride and groom.
The forest floor, which had originally been bare earth, had been completely covered with lush artificial grass.
In front of the canopy, several rustic wooden platforms had been arranged about one and a half meters apart, replacing conventional tables and chairs. The guests would sit there and enjoy the food after the ceremony.
A white carpet stretched from the entrance toward the floral canopy, scattered with delicate pink and green flower petals.
And along that carpet, escorted by both of her parents, Natasha slowly walked toward her future husband.
At the front sat a middle-aged wedding officiant dressed formally. In front of him sat the groom, who had replaced Adam at the last minute.
Noah sat tall and confident, his broad shoulders held straight.
On the table, decorated in elegant shades of white and green, lay several documents, a beautiful bouquet made of dollar bills, a jewelry box, another small box whose contents Natasha couldn't yet see, and a neatly wrapped wedding gift.
The moment Natasha noticed everything on the table, her eyes grew misty.
None of the dowry Adam had originally prepared was there anymore.
Everything had been replaced.
Natasha remembered seeing Noah whisper something to Orion earlier.
He must have asked his assistant to replace all of the original wedding gifts.
The realization touched her deeply.
She couldn't even imagine what it would have felt like to marry Noah while still accepting the dowry that Adam had prepared for her.
If Noah really is the man I'm meant to spend my life with, please help me open my heart to him as soon as possible.
I don't want to waste the chance to have a husband as kind and sincere as him.
With both of her parents beside her, Natasha was finally seated beside Noah.
Her father sat across from Noah, right beside the wedding officiant.
Two men sat on either side of the table as witnesses.
To the left sat Uncle Ronny, Mama Irene's youngest brother, representing the bride's family.
Beside Noah sat Tarra, the witness representing the groom's side.
She had been chosen as a witness because, in a way, she was the one who had brought the two of them together in the first place—with her crazy idea.
*
After a short reading and the officiant's wedding address, the most important part of the ceremony finally began.
Without the slightest hesitation in his eyes, Noah firmly took Papa Irawan's hand.
In a calm but unmistakably clear voice, Natasha's father began the formal wedding vows.
"I give my daughter Natasha Blackwood daughter of Irawan Blackwood, to you, Noah Ashford son of Mahesa Ashford, as your wife, with the agreed marital gifts: one set of gold jewelry weighing twenty-seven grams, one 2.7-carat diamond ring, 2,026 US dollars in cash, and one Marcedes Benz E-class, fully paid."
"I accept Natasha Blackwood daughter of Irawan Blackwood, as my wife, together with the agreed marital gifts, fully and willingly," Noah replied clearly.
His voice was steady, filled with absolute certainty.
The officiant turned toward the witnesses.
"Do you both acknowledge the marriage as valid?"
"Valid!"
It wasn't only Uncle Ronny and Tarra who answered.
The entire gathering surrounding the canopy erupted in agreement.
Cheers and words of celebration filled the forest, announcing to everyone that a father had willingly entrusted his beloved daughter to a man he hoped would protect, love, and cherish her for the rest of her life.
After the formal marriage vows were completed, the ceremony continued with a blessing.
Then came the presentation of the wedding gifts.
Camera flashes went off repeatedly as photographers and guests captured every precious moment of the newlyweds.
The bouquet of 2,026 US dollars, the beautifully prepared gift set, the jewelry box containing a complete jewelry set, along with the purchase documents and car keys, were handed by Noah to his new wife, Natasha.
But Noah kept the small box in his hand.
He opened it himself.
Inside were two white-gold wedding bands.
One was a beautiful diamond ring for Natasha.
The other was a men's ring with a single diamond for himself.
With slightly trembling hands, Noah picked up Natasha's ring and prepared to slide it onto her finger.
Natasha was about to extend her left hand when she suddenly noticed the ring still sitting there.
The engagement ring Adam had once placed on her finger.
She quickly pulled it off and handed it to her mother, who was standing nearby.
Seeing what she had done, Noah gave a faint smile.
When Natasha noticed her husband's amused expression, her face immediately turned as red as a tomato.
Still blushing, she slowly extended her hand toward Noah again.
Once the ring was securely placed on her ring finger, Natasha took the other ring from the box and slipped it onto Noah's finger.
Then, with a mixture of nervousness and sincerity, Natasha gently took Noah's hand and kissed it.
Almost instinctively, Noah placed his left hand gently on top of her head.
The entire moment was captured by the photographers and countless cameras held by the guests.
"Give her a kiss on the forehead, Noah! You're officially husband and wife now!" the wedding MC teased.
Laughter immediately erupted from the families and guests.
Noah looked into Natasha's eyes.
Natasha gave him a small nod, silently giving him permission.
Noah gently took her right hand with his left, drawing her slightly closer.
Then he placed his right hand gently beside her face and slowly leaned toward her forehead.
Natasha instinctively closed her eyes.
Her heart was pounding so hard that she could almost hear it.
Her face felt unbearably warm.
Her emotions were a complete mess.
And yet, strangely, she didn't feel uncomfortable.
When Noah's lips brushed her forehead in a soft kiss, a sense of peace unexpectedly settled over her.
It was warm.
Comforting.
Beautiful.
She shouldn't be feeling this way.
Only that morning, she had been crying over another man.
And now, her heart was racing because of someone else.
Was it really possible for everything to change so quickly?
Perhaps there was something about finally being married that made the moment feel different.
Whatever the reason, Natasha silently wished that she would be able to love her husband someday.
Truly and wholeheartedly.
After the wedding gifts had been presented, the officiant formally handed the newlyweds their marriage certificate as a symbolic gesture.
Although the names recorded on the ceremonial document were not yet officially valid, it still served as a symbolic reminder of the vows they had just exchanged.
Before handing it over, the officiant asked Noah to recite the marriage pledge.
With a firm and confident voice, Noah repeated the pledge before the gathering.
Once every part of the ceremony had been completed, the officiant took his leave.
After he departed, the wedding MC returned to guide the rest of the event.
The guests were then invited to enjoy the food and refreshments that had been prepared.
As planned, the wedding ceremony itself had been attended only by the immediate and extended family.
The larger group of invited guests waiting at the hotel would attend the main reception later that afternoon, from four in the afternoon until ten at night.